CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – District 10-AAA foes Northeast boys basketball and Clarksville met up Tuesday in the Region 5-AAA semifinals. In a win-or-go home scenario, the Wildcats made a few more plays than the Eagles did down the stretch to seal an eventual 57-51 win.
“Before tonight, we talked about how there were 32 good teams left in the state of Tennessee,” said Clarksville boys basketball coach Ted Young on the message to his players. “After tonight, there would be 16 great teams left in the state. Where do you want to be? Which of those conversations do you want to be a part of?”
“This is the second game in the region that we’ve had to travel on the road. We had to go play a tough Green Hill team and were able to overcome them. Then to come in here at Northeast to face the district-tournament champions, we knew were were going to have to be at the top of our game. Both teams have guys who can shoot, rebound and play defense. One thing we didn’t want to happen was for them to jump out to an early lead on us and get pumped up on their home floor.”
Man on a mission
Wildcat junior guard JJ Wheat was a man on a mission, tearing his way threw the Eagle defense throughout. The 2019-20 District Player of the Year took over the game whenever Clarksville needed him to.
“JJ Wheat made first-team all-district moves all night long,” Young said. “He just kept weaving through people and was under control when he got to the rim. He shot some acrobatic layups in there to get the score down and then our other guys hit the shots they were supposed to hit. That team mentality was really what put us over the top.”
The contest was extremely competitive for all four quarters, as the lead changed hands several times.
“Overall, probably JJ,” said Northeast boys basketball coach Sam Young on the difference in the game. “We didn’t really have an answer for him consistently. We tried to change defenses up on him to try and keep him off-balance. I don’t think we played that bad tonight honestly, he just wanted it.”
Both teams exchanged 6-2 runs to start the game before Wheat converted a three-point play to give the Wildcats a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“We were able to have success early on then they put their trap on us,” Ted Young said. “We called a quick timeout and told our guys they can’t walk the ball up the floor against Northeast’s trap. You have to sprint it up the floor and then look for the next pass. Once we sped up our attack against it, we didn’t really have anymore struggles with it.”
The second half
Despite CHS doing continuous damage in transition, the outcome was far from decided after just one half in the books.
“They came out with a great third quarter,” Ted Young said. “They were scoring every time down the floor, but we were able to answer offensively. We never let it go over a five-point deficit or more than a two-possession game.”
Northeast appeared poise to make a run when Keaton Allen buried a shot from beyond the arc to give the Eagles a 43-41 lead out of the third-quarter break.
With two minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the contest, Wesley Booth knocked down a monumental three-pointer to put Clarksville back out in front 49-46.
“He hit really the game-winning three against Green Hill,” Ted Young said. “We were up one point with one minute left and they were pressing us hard. JJ found him wide open on the wing and he nailed a big three-pointer. Tonight was a carryover from that. Wesley feels really comfortable in his shot right now and we want him to shoot it.”
Javon Martin later found Jaheim McDonald inside for a layup, extending the Wildcat lead to five points.
Clarksville was able to do just enough damage from the free-throw line late to put the game out of reach.
Wheat scored a game-high 26 points while Charles Freeman added 10 points for the Wildcats.
Jalen Hooks led the Eagles with 15 points followed by Jaylen Miller with 12 points.
End of Northeast’s season
As Northeast’s season ends, so does the high school basketball career of their 2021 senior class. After the game, Sam Young talked about the lasting impression that the graduating players will have on the program.
“It’s a phenomenal group,” Sam Young said. “You can’t ask for a better group of young men. Not just talking basketball. I have the utmost respect for them. They bring it to school, they’re good students and solid in the community. They’re going to be great young men once they reach the real world.”
Sam Young is hopeful that the returning roster can continue to build on the legacy that the senior class leaves behind in the form of four consecutive district titles.
“We’re going to be a whole different team,” Sam Young said. “We have a lot of youth that will be stepping up and playing. We tried to bring them along for the ride where they could see these big games. It’s a gauntlet. I guess the most important thing for them to see is the level of play and how good you have to be to move on.”
What’s next
With the victory, Clarksville advances to take on Beech Thursday, March 4, at 7 p.m. in the Region 5-AAA finals while also earning a trip to substate.
“Beech is a lot like Northeast for us,” Ted Young said. “They’re taller, longer and real athletic. They haven’t been in a region final in a very long time. Their school up there doesn’t have restrictions on attendance like we do here. Their student body is standing the entire ballgame. They’re going to get five to six dunks in the game, going to hit 10 or 12 three-pointers in the game and we have to go up there and answer every time.
“The good thing is, they run a zone defense and I think that will allow our ball handlers, I hope, to create good looks for us…I’m fixing to go home and the first thing I’m going to do is call the airline and cancel our plane reservations as well as our hotel reservations for next week, but boy am I really glad to be doing it.”